INTRODUCTION The human resources are the most important assets of an organization.

The success or failure of an organization is largely dependent on the caliber of the people working therein. Without positive and creative contributionsfrom people, organizations cannot progress and prosper. In order to achievethe goals or the activities of an organization, therefore, they need to recruit people with requisite skills, qualifications and experience. While doing so,the y ha ve to kee p t he p res e nt as we ll as t he fut ure re q uire me nts o f t heorganization in mind.R ec ruit me nt is d is t inc t fro m E mp lo y me nt a nd Se lec t io n. O nce t her e q u i r e d n u m b e r a n d k i n d o f h u m a n r e s o u r c e s a r e d e t e r m i n e d , t h e ma na ge me nt has t o fi nd t he p lac es w he re t he re q uire d hu ma n res o urc es are/will be available and also find the means of attracting them towards theorganization before selecting suitable candidates for jobs. All this process isgenerally known as recruitment. Some people use the term Recruitmentfor employment. These two are not one and the same. Recruitment is onlyone of the steps in the entire employment process. Some others use the termr e c r u i t m e n t f o r s e l e c t i o n . T h e s e a r e n o t t h e s a m e e i t h e r . T e c h n i c a l l y speaking, the function of recruitment precedes the selection function and itincludes only finding, developing the sources of prospective employees andattracting them to apply for jobs in an organization, whereas the selection isthe process of finding out the most suitable candidate to the job out of thecandidates attracted (i.e., recruited).Formal definition of recruitment wouldgive clear cut idea about the function of recruitment. DEFINITIONS Recruit me nt is de fined as, a process to d isco ve r t he so urces o f manpower to meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employe ffe ct i ve meas ures fo r at t ract in g t hat ma np ow e r in ade q uat e nu mb e rs t o fac il it at e e ffec t ive s e le ct io n of a n e ffic ie nt w or k fo rce. Ed w in B. Flip p odefined recruitment as the process of searching for prospective employeesand stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization. Recruitment is alinking function-joining together those with jobs to fill and those seeking jobs. It is a joining process in that it tries to bring together job seekers andemployer with a view to encourage the former to apply for a job with thelatter.I n o r d e r t o a t t r a c t p e o p l e f o r t h e j o b s , t h e o r g a n i z a t i o n m u s t communicate the position in such a way that job seekers respond. applicants and provide enough information for unqualified persons to self-

To be costeffective, the recruitment process should attract qualified select themselvesout.Thus, the recruitment process begins when new recruits are soughta nd e nds w he n t he ir ap p li cat io ns a re s ub mit t ed. The re s ult is a po o l o f applicants from which new employees are selected. PURPOSES AND IMPORTANCE The ge ne ra l p urp ose o f rec ruit me nt is t o pro vid e a po o l o f po te nt ia ll yqualified job candidates. Specifically, the purposes are to: Determine the present and future requirements of the organization inconjunction with its personnel-planning and job-analysis activities. Increase the pool of job candidates at minimum cost. Help increase the success rate of the selection process by reducing thenumber of visibly, under qualified or overqualified job applicants. Help reduce the probability that job applicants, once recruited andselected, will leave the organization only after a short period of time. Begin identifying and preparing potential job applicants who will beappropriate candidates. Induct outsiders with a new perspective to lead the company. Infuse fresh blood at all levels of the organization. Develop an organizational culture that attracts competent people tothe company. Search or head hunt/head pouch people whose skills fit the companysvalues. Devise methodologies for assessing psychological traits. Search for talent globally and not just within the company. Design entry pay that competes on quality but not on quantum. Anticipate and find people for positions that do not exist yet.

 Increase organizational and individual effectiveness in the short termand long term. Eva luate the e ffective ness o f va rio us recruiting tec hniq ues a n d sources for all types of job applicants.Rec ruit me nt re prese nts t he firs t c o nta ct that a c o mp a ny ma kes w it h potential employees. It is through recruitment that many individuals willcome to know a company, and eventually decide whether they wish to work for it. A well-planned and well-managed recruiting effort will result in high-quality applicants, whereas, a haphazard and piecemeal effort will result inme d io cre o nes. Hi g hq ua l it y e mp lo ye es c a nno t be se le ct ed w he n b et te r candidates do not know of job openings, are not interested in working for thecompany and do not apply. The recruitment process should inform qualifiedindividuals about employment opportunities, create a positive image of thecompany, provide enough information about the jobs so that applicants canma ke c o mpa ris o ns w it h t he ir q ua li fica t io ns a nd int e rests, a nd ge ne ra teenthusiasm among the best candidates so that they will apply for the vacant positions.The negative consequences of a poor recruitment process speak volumesabout its role in an organization. The failure to generate an adequate number of reasonably qualified applicants can prove costly in several ways. It cangrea t ly c o mp lic a te t he se lec t io n proc ess a nd ma y res ult in lo we r in g o f s e lect io n s ta nd a rds. The po o r q ua l it y o f s e le ct io n me a ns e xt r a cos t o ntraining and supervision. Furthermore, when recruitment fails to meet theorganizational needs for talent, a typical response is to raise entry-level pays ca les. This ca n d ist o rt t ra d it io n a l w a ge a nd s a la ry re la t io ns h ips in t heorganization, resulting in avoidable consequences. Thus, the effectiveness of a recruitment process can play a major role in determining the resources thatmust be expended on other HR activities and their ultimate success. SUB-SYSTEMS OF RECRUITMENT The recruitment process consists of the following four sub-functions: Finding out and developing the sources where the required number and kind of employees will be available. Developing suitable techniques to attract the desirable candidates.

SUB-SYSTEMS OF RECRUITMENT The recruitment process consists of the following four sub-functions:y Finding out and developing the sources where the required number and kind of employees will be available. y Developing suitable techniques to attract the desirable candidates. y Employing the techniques to attract candidates. y Stimulating as many candidates as possible and asking them to applyfor jobs irrespective of the number of candidates required Ma na ge me nt has t o a tt ra ct mo re c a nd id at es in o rde r to inc reas e t hes election ratio so that the most suitable candidate can be selected out of thetotal candidates available. Recruitment is positive as it aims at increasing thenumber of applicants and selection is somewhat negative as it selects thes u i t a b l e c a n d i d a t e s i n w h i c h p r o c e s s ; t h e u n s u i t a b l e c a n d i d a t e s a r e automatically eliminated. Though, the function of recruitment seems to beeasy, a number of factors make performance of recruitment a complex one FACTORS AFFECTING RECRUITMENT The following are the 2 important factors affecting Recruitment:1)INTERNAL FACTORS y Recruiting policy y Temporary and part-time employees y Recruitment of local citizens y Engagement of the company in HRP y Companys size y Cost of recruitment

y Companys growth and expansion 2) EXTERNAL FACTORS y Supply and Demand factors y Unemployment Rate y Labour-market conditions y Political and legal considerations y Social factors y Economic factors y Technological factors. INDUCEMENTS O r g a n is a t i o na l i n d u c e me n t s a re a l l t he p o s i t i v e fe a t u re s a n d b e n e fi t s o f f e r e d b y a n o r g a n i z a t i o n t h a t s e r v e s t o a t t r a c t j o b a p p l i c a n t s t o t h e organisation. Three inducements need specific mention here, they are:Compensation: S t a r t i n g s a l a r i e s , f r e q u e n c y o f p a y i n c r e a s e s , incentives and fringe benefits can all serve as inducements to potentialemployees. Career Opportunities: T he s e he l p t h e p r e s e n t e mp l o y e e s t o g ro w p e rs o n a l l y a n d p ro fe s s i o na l l y a n d a l s o a t t ra c t g o o d p e o p l e t o t he organization. The feeling that the company takes care of employeec a re e r a s p i ra t i o ns s e r v e s a s a p o w e r fu l i n d u c e me n t s t o p o t e nt i a lemployees.

Image or Reputation: Factors that affect an organisations reputationinclude its general treatment of employees, the nature and quality of its products and services and its participation in worthwhile social endeavors. CASE EXAMPLE (inducements):INFOSYS: The Software Powerhouse Infosys Technologies Limited (ITL), one of the countrys best knownsoftware exporting house, treats its employees as partners and co-owners. It p ro v i d e s t he m c ha l l e n g i n g a s s i g n me n t s , a l l o w s fle x i b l e w o rk i n g h o u rs , re w a r d s t h e m s o l e l y o n t he b a s is o f p e r fo r ma n c e a n d c o nd u c t s re g u l a r t ra i n i n g p r o g ra m me s t o u p g ra d e t h e i r s k i l l s . It h a s a n E mp l o y e e S t o c k Option Plan (ESOP) to share its wealth with employees on the basis of their performance. Even lower level employees are proud owners of the prizedstock worth 25 to 40 lakh rupees, according to Narayan Murthy, the CEO of ITL. Apart from increasing shareholder value, ESOP has greatly enhancedt he i ma g e o f t h e c o mp a n y in t h e i n fo r ma t i o n t e c h n o l o g y i n d u s t r y w h e re employee attrition rates are very high. It is small wonder companies like Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Citibank have reposed their faith inE SO P a s a w a y o f a t t ra c t i n g a nd r e t a i n i n g t a le n t i n a h i g h l y c o mp e t i t i v e environment.

CONSTRAINTS I f a fi r m h a s a p o o r i ma g e i n t h e ma r k e t , ma n y o f t he p r o s p e c t i v e candidates may not even apply for vacancies advertised by the firm. If the job is not attractive, qualified people may not even apply. Any job that isviewed as boring, hazardous, anxiety producing, low-paying, or lacking in p ro mo t i o n p o t e n t ia l s e l d o m w i l l a t t ra c t a q u a l i fi e d p o o l o f a p p l i c a n t s . Recruiting efforts require money. Sometimes because of limited resources,organizations may not like to carry on the recruiting efforts for long periodsof time, this can, ultimately, constrain a recruiters effort to attract the best person for the job. Government policies often come in the way of recruiting people as per the rules of the company or on the basis of merit/seniority, etc.Fo r e x a mp l e , re s e r va t i o ns t o s p e c i fi c g ro u p s (s uc h a s s c h e d u l e d c a s t e s , s c he d u l e d t r i b e s , b a c k w a r d c a s t e s , p h y s ic a l l y ha n d i c a p p e d a n d d i s a b l e d p e rs o ns , e x s e r v i c e me n, e t c . ) ha v e t o b e o b s e r v e d a s p e r c o ns t it u t i o na l p r o v i s i o n s w h i l e f i l l i n g u p v a c a n c i e s i n g o v e r n m e n t c o r p o r a t i o n s , departmen tal undertakings, local bodies, quasi-government organizations,etc

CORPORATE MISSION, OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIESAND TACTICS (MOST) Corporations have started linking their Mission, Objectives, Strategiesa n d Ta c t ic s (M O S T) t o t h e fu n c t i o ns o f re c r u i t me n t a n d s e le c t i o n. T he economic liberalizations and consequent competition through quality ands e r v i c e s n e c e s s i t a t e d t h e c o mp a n ie s t o s e a r c h fo r a nd a t t ra c t c o mp e t e n t human resources. Corporations focusing on new business development willhave to seek entrepreneurial abilities, companies planning to withdraw fromdiversifications must look for pragmatists and companies chasing growth alliances should employ people comfortable in dif f e r e n t c u l t u r a l backgrounds. Above all, companies must hire for the future, anticipating jobs that may not be in existence yet. Recruitment managers must focus for attitudes and approaches that fit the corporate goals and culture.

RECRUITMENT- Relationship with other activities

RECRUITMENT POLICY Recruitment policy of any organization is derived from the personnel policy of the same organization. In other words the former is a part of thelatter. However, recruitment policy by itself should take into considerationt h e go v e r n me n t s re s e r va t i o n p o l i c y, p o l i c y r e ga rd i n g s o ns o f s o i l, e t c . , personnel policies of other organizations regarding merit, internal sources,s o c i a l r e s p o n s i b i l i t y i n a b s o r b i n g m i n o r i t y s e c t i o n s , w o m e n , e t c . R e c ru i t me n t p o l ic y s ho u l d c o m m i t i ts e l f t o t h e o r g a n is a t i o n s p e rs o n n e l policy like enriching the organisations human resources or servicing

thec o m m u n i t y b y a b s o r b i n g t h e r e t r e n c h e d o r l a i d o f f e m p l o y e e s o r casual/temporary employees or dependents of p resent/former employees,etc.The following factors should be taken into consideration in formulatingrecruitment policy. They are:y Government policies y Personnel policies of other competing organizations y Organisations personnel policies y Recruitment sources y Recruitment needs y Recruitment cost y Selection criteria and preference RECRUITMENT- Matching the of the organization & applicants

IMPACT OF PERSONNEL POLICIES ON RECRUITMENTPOLICIES Recruitment policies are mostly drawn from personnel policies of theo r g a n i z a t i o n . Ac c o r d i n g t o D a le Y o d a r a n d Pa u l D . St a n d o ha r, g e ne ra l personnel policies provide a wide variety of guidelines to be spelt out inr e c r u i t m e n t p o l i c y . A f t e r f o r m u l a t i o n o f t h e r e c r u i t m e n t p olic ies, the ma na ge me nt has to dec ide whethe r to ce ntra lize o r d e c e n t r a l i z e t h e recruitment function. CENTRALISED V/s DECENTRALISED RECRUITMENT Recruitment practices vary from one organization to another. Someorganizations like commercial banks resort to centralized recruitment whiles o m e o r g a n i z a t i o n s l i k e t h e I n d i a n R a i l w a y r e s o r t t o d e c e n t r a l i z e d recruitment practices. Personnel department at the central office performs allthe functions of recruitment in case of centralised recruitment and personnel departments at unit level/zonal level perform all the functions of recruitmentconcerning to the jobs of the respective unit or zone. MERITS OF CENTRALISED RECRUITMENT y Average cost of recruitment per candidate/unit should be relativelyless due to economies of scale. y It would have more expertise available to it. y It c a n e ns u re b r o a d u n i fo r mi t y a m o n g h u ma n re s o u rc e s o f v a r i o us units/zones in respect of education, skill, knowledge, talent, etc. y It would generally be above malpractices, abu s e o f p o w e r s , favouritism, bias, etc. y It would facilitate interchangeability of staff amo n g v a r i o u s units/zones. y It enables the line managers of various units and zones to concentrateon their operational activities by relieving them from the recruitingfunctions. y It enables the organization to have centralised selection procedure, promotional and transfer procedure, etc.

y It ensures the most effective and suitable placement to candidates. It e n a b l e s c e n t ra l i s e d t ra i n i n g p ro g ra m me s w h i c h fu r t h e r b r i n g s un iformity and minimizes average cost of staff. MERITS OF DECENTRALISED RECRUITMENT y Th e unit concerned concentrates only on those sources/places whereinnormally gets the suitable candidates. As such the cost of recruitmentwould be relatively less. y The unit gets most s uita ble ca ndidates as it is we ll aware of ther e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e j o b r e g a r d i n g c u l t u r e , t r a d i t i o n a l , f a m i l y background aspects, local factors, social factors, etc. y Units can recruit candidates as and when they are required withoutany delay. y The units would enjoy freedom in finding out, developing the sources,in selecting and employing the techniques to stimulate the candidates. y The unit would relatively enjoy advantage about the availability of information, control and feedback and various functions/processes of recruitment

M r. S a s h i d ha r j o i ne d t he c o m pa n y w i t h gr e a t e n t h us ia s m a n d a ls o found his job to be quite comfortable and challenging one. He found that hiscolleagues and superiors were friendly and co-operative. But this didn t lastlo ng. A f t e r o ne y e a r o f hi s s e r v ic e , h e s lo wl y le a r nt a bo u t a n u m be r o f unpleasant stories about the company, management, the superior-subordinaterelations, rate of employee turnover, etc. But still he decided to continuewi t h t he p ro mis e t ha t he ma de i n t he i n te rv ie w. H e wa n te d to p le a s e a n dchange the attitude of management through his performance, commitmenta n d d e d i c a t i o n . L o o k i n g a t h i s g r e a t c o n t r i b u t i o n s a n d e f f o r t s , t h e ma na ge me n t go t t he

im p re s s io n t ha t h e is we l l s e t t le d w il l re ma i n i n t he c o m pa ny f o r a lo ng ti me . A f te r s o me t i m e t he y a ll s ta rt e d ta k in g u n d ue advantage of him and overloaded him with multifarious jobs and therebyridded over him. As a result, his freedom in deciding and executing was cutdown to size; his colleagues started assigning their responsibilities to him.Consequently, there were imbalances in his family, social and organizationlife.It was quite surprising to the general manager to see the resignationle t te r o f M r. S a s hi d ha r o ne f i ne mo r ni n g. T he ge n e ra l ma n a g e r f a i le d to convince him to withdraw his resignation. The general manager wanted toappoint a committee to go into the matter immediately, but dropped the idealater so that the company s image doesn t get spoiled. ANALYSIS T h u s , fro m t h i s c a s e s t u d y i t is c l e a r t h a t re t a i n in g i s m u c h mo r e important than recruiting. Whats the use and benefits of recruiting qualityemployees if they cannot be retained by the organization in a proper manner.The purpose of recruitment is fulfilled when the employees selected from a pool of qualified applicants are retained in the company by keeping them satisfied in all aspects. They must be provided with b e t t e r w o r k i n g conditions, better pay scales, incentives, recognition, p romotion, bonus,flexible working hours, etc. They should treat the employees as co-ownersand partners of the company. SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT

The sources of recruitment ma y be broadly divided int o t w o c a t e go r i e s : i n t e r n a l s o u rc e s a n d e x t e r n a l s o ur c e s . B o t h ha v e t h e i r o w n merits and demerits. Lets examine these. Internal Sources:Pe rs o ns w h o a re a l re a d y w o r k i n g i n a n o r ga n i z a t i o n c o n s t i t u t e t he internal sources. Retrenched employees, retired employees, dependents of deceased employees may also constitute the internal sources. Whenever any

vacancy arises, someone from within the organization i s u p g r a d e d , transferred, promoted or even demoted. External Sources External sources lie outside an organization. Here the organizationcan have the services of : (a) Employees working in other organizations; (b)Jobs aspirants registered with employment exchanges; (c) Students fromreputed educational institutions; (d) Candidates referred by unions, friends,relatives and existing employees; (e) Candidates forwarded by search firmsand contractors; (f) Candidates responding to the advertisements, issued bythe organization; and (g) Unsolicited applications/ walk-ins.